xxiv THE WAPITI 401 



marching, until it seemed as though we were hopelessly cut off 

 from the home that lay snugly in the valley before our eyes. 



At length I remarked a wooded slope rising higher than the 

 rest ; this was shaped like a wedge, and continued from top to 

 bottom of the mountain ; I felt sure that an uninterrupted descent 

 would be obtained, could we only manage to climb this lofty ridge. 

 We accordingly cut across a number of depressions, in one of which 

 we came upon a fine bull buffalo which was asleep beneath the 

 rocks. I would not shoot it, and we watched the easy manner 

 with which this massive animal traversed the rocky ground, and 

 climbed the steep gradients with the comparative activity of a 

 goat. Our horses were good, but it was as much as they could do 

 to breast the steep ascent, which at length brought us to the 

 summit of the wooded ridge. This was a curious buttress of the 

 mountain ; it was not 80 yards in width, but a well-marked track, 

 and numerous chippings from the axe showed that persons from 

 the valley had been here to fell the spruce, probably to construct 

 the Peters's hut. Our difficulties had vanished, and by an easy 

 path we descended to the valley, waded through the river, and 

 shortly were welcomed by our kind young friends, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Peters, in the rough log-house that we had seen from so great a 

 distance. 



The ranche life must have been delightful to young people who 

 were only recently married, and were newly launched upon the 

 voyage of their future life. It was complete independence. The 

 log-house was confined to the ground-floor. There was a good-sized 

 room, or hall, which formed the entrance ; on the right and left 

 were two rooms that formed either bedrooms and dressing-rooms, 

 or single rooms, as occasion might require. A kitchen and a small 

 pantry were at the back of the entrance hall ; and I am not sure 

 where a Dane and his -wife (the servants) existed, together with 

 their very fat and exceedingly red child of two years old. 



Late in the afternoon our people and camp arrived, but we felt 

 a palatial luxury in our hospitable quarters, after the cold and 

 cramped accommodation of the pigmy tent. Curiously enough, 

 our people had not only passed over the barren portion of the 

 mountain, where we had seen the vicious rattlesnake, but they 

 had also met it in the same spot and killed it. 



The locality was well chosen for a settlement by Mr. Peters, 

 and I trust he has succeeded as a rancher. The grass was good, 

 and there was no danger of interlopers upon any side but one, as 

 the Big Horn range ascended abruptly immediately from the 

 opposite side of the Powder river. 



2D 



